The news: Walmart unveiled a series of AI-powered tools for its app to help customers with their holiday shopping.

The details: The new features are meant to make Walmart’s app more useful for in-store shoppers and to simplify discovery and purchasing for customers who prefer to transact online.

• In-store savings: This feature allows shoppers to find sale items available in their local stores—including Black Friday deals, rollbacks, and clearance items. Customers can filter by category and compare prices.
• Enhanced search and navigation: Shoppers can search for items to view in-stock availability and their location in the store.
• A simpler way to shop wish lists: In-store app users can sort wish lists by aisle, making it easier to quickly locate their desired gifts.
• AI-powered party planning: Walmart’s Sparky assistant can now generate curated shopping lists to help customers prepare for holiday celebrations.
• AI-generated audio summaries: Product descriptions and reviews are converted into short audio clips; the feature is currently available for over 1,000 premium beauty products.
• AR-powered features: Shop the Background allows shoppers to add items shown in product images to their carts with one click, while Dynamic Showroom lets customers visualize home décor items in situ.

The big picture: AI is expected to play a larger role in shoppers’ purchase decisions this holiday season, aided by efforts from retailers like Walmart to embed the technology throughout their selling channels. Salesforce forecasts that AI and agents will drive 21% of holiday orders globally, or an estimated $263 billion in sales, this year.

• Nearly two-thirds (64%) of global consumers expect to use AI for at least one holiday shopping-related task, per Shopify’s 2025 Holiday Report. That proportion rises to 84% among 18- to 24-year-olds.
• 1 in 3 US holiday shoppers expects to use AI to find the best deals, 30% will use it to compare products, and 26% will rely on it for gift ideas or recommendations, according to a PayPal survey.

Our recommendation: Retailers should follow Walmart’s lead and use AI to make it easier for customers to surface deals and quickly find what they’re looking for, whether in-store or online.